The Final Showdown
by MilfordCubicle
Summary: Two men, two objectives, one place. Gordon Freeman worked at Black Mesa. And when everything went to hell, he was tasked to simply survive. Corporal Adrian Shepard was sent to kill him. Freeman succeeded in his mission, Shepard did not. Chapter 7 is up!
1. Awakening

At first, all he could see was darkness. All he could feel was a dull throb in his chest and legs. And he could hear nothing. Perhaps that was the worst part, he thought to himself. It was completely silent. It had been for the past…how long had it been? He did not know.

"Wake up."

He felt excitement welling up in him. Was the voice in fact real, not just his imagination? It felt real enough. He heard it again.

"Wake up…wake up, and smell the ashes," The voice said again. Definitely real. Suddenly, the dark void began to pull away from him, and a new picture slowly fell into place. A gray picture. He could feel that he was lying on a cold, hard surface, and could feel a cold breeze on the back of his neck. He lifted his head, rubbing matted black hair out of his face. He was kneeling in an alley, two brick buildings on either side of him, both looking very run down. A chain link fence blocked off one end, the other was open, though partially obscured by a dumpster. He wore a dull gray jumpsuit.

The man felt a rumbling in his stomach, and knew that he was very hungry. He fell on both hands then, vomiting up nothing, not even stomach acid. He felt dizzy, reeling, and out of breath. After a minute of lying still, he sat back up. He could remember nothing; not who he was, nor how he had gotten there. He shook his head, clearing his vision.

"Hey, citizen!" He heard a voice call. The voice was not nearly as smooth as the first, but rather rough, and saturated. He looked up, to see a black-clad figure strutting towards him, a gray mask covering its face. He noticed an odd-looking stick in the thing's hand, and saw a pistol in a holster.

"What are you doing? This is a restricted area!" The voice called, getting closer. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck raise, and he shakily got to his feet.

"You're gonna wish you never broke through the fences, whoever you are…" The voice said. The man didn't like the tone. As the soldier…was it a soldier? Yes, it certainly looked like one. It raised its hand, and blue sparks leapt to life at the end of the stick. As the hand came down, the man's own hand reached, grabbing the strange arm and twisting it. The soldier spun around, and the man's elbow came down on the base of its neck, right on the spinal cord. The soldier slumped, and the man grabbed both sides of its head, twisting until he heard a crack. He let the body slump to the pavement.

The man looked around nervously, but no one was there. He flipped the body over, drawing the pistol and checking the magazine. Noticing it was full, he went for the stick next. It was some sort of stun rod, he could see. It wasn't very long before he figured out how to work it, flicking the electricity on and off. He stuck it under his arm, and began searching the body, looking for identification, an extra weapon, anything. He found nothing, only two more pistol magazines.

"All units, this is Command. There is an intruder in the Citadel. All units, report to the Citadel!" The man started at the voice, realizing after a moment that it was coming from the soldier's mask. There must've been a radio in there, the man thought. He stepped forward, holding the pistol in one hand and the stun stick in the other. Looking around, a large, black tower, looming over the entire city, caught his eye. He decided that was the Citadel.

A boom of gunfire snapped him back into reality. He spun around, lifting both weapons. Two men and a woman, wearing jumpsuits similar to his, burst out into the streets. The woman and one man held odd looking submachine guns, while the second man carried a large Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher.

"STRIDERS!" A far off voice called, and the man wondered what a strider was. A moment later, he was answered. Three massive legs turned the corner, spiraling up to a large platform, just under the building level. Adrian saw three men on the platform, seemingly controlling the behemoth. A cannon underneath spewed blue bolts, that spattered against the surfaces, and completely obliterated the man with the RPG.

"Shit, Ben's down! Alyx, get his launcher!" The man yelled.

The woman—Alyx—dove forward, scooping up the launcher and lifting it into the air. She took aim for just a moment, ignoring the blue bolts shattering the cement around her. The man admired that, finding himself watching in awe, even as Alyx's second comrade was torn nearly in half. Alyx let loose, and the rocket twirled through the air, slamming into the side of the strider platform. The giant listed, slamming into the side of the building next to it, then toppling forward. Alyx dropped the launcher, and sprinted away, toward the man.

"MOVE!" She yelled, pointing at the man. He realized that he was in danger then, and turned and ran. He fired two pistol shots into a nearby window, diving into it. He looked up, to see that he was in an old diner. Alyx joined him a moment later, covering her head with her hands. The man did the same, as an explosion rippled through the streets, covering the entire area with dust.

"It's ok, you can get up now," The man heard, opening his eyes. He looked around, and saw Alyx standing by the shattered window, a pistol in her hands. The man wanted to ask so many questions at once, but he settled on one for now.

"Where am I?" His voice croaked from years of disuse.

"Oh…you've got to be kidding, right?" She said, giving him a look. He replied with a blank expression, obviously surprising her.

"You…you're not kidding, are you? You're in City 17. You know, Doctor Breen, combine soldiers, big black tower, ring any bells?" When the man did not answer, she looked back out the window. "You must've hit your head pretty hard on that window."

"Who…who are you?" He asked.

"Alyx Vance, People's Liberation," She said, helping him to his feet and shaking his hand, "And you?"

He thought for a moment, then, "I…I don't remember…"

Alyx gave him a look, and handed him his pistol. "Your stun rod was snapped in half, but I found this," She said, almost apologetically. He smiled, feeling his lips crack.

Alyx turned back to the window, looking out. "Oh shit!" She whispered, ducking down. The man followed suit, not liking her tone. "Combine elites…I count six. Get ready for a fight…"

_Combine elites?_ He thought, before a smaller blue bolt shattered the tiles above his head. He cursed loudly, and stood, lifting his pistol. He opened fire, swiveling from one white target to the next. He fired two shots into a chest, then changed his aim, firing another two into another chest.

Alyx snorted, then peeked up over the windowsill, and lifting her own pistol. She brought down the closest target, but a rain of blue bolts assailed her position. She yelled, and watched the man fly back, a bolt striking him in the shoulder.

"Move in!" He heard, and the door to the diner was kicked down. Two figures, looking similar to the soldier the man killed in the alley, but in white, stormed in, holding odd looking weapons. The man lifted his pistol, barely lining up the iron sites with one's chest. He fired, but the recoil of the weapon shot waves of pain up his arm, and the pistol flew out of his hand. The closest soldier lifted his own weapon, and fired a bolt, hitting the man in the stomach. He groaned, and slowly faded into unconsciousness.


	2. The Dream

**Sorry, I accidentally gave the surprise away in the last chapter, about who the man is. It should be obvious anyway, but I figured it might get _some_ people. I was half asleep when I wrote the first chapter, just writing to be writing, really. So I kinda slipped up a few times. Must've missed that one during the proofread.**

_The man sat inside an Osprey, listening to his fellow marines spouting friendly banter back and forth. The carrier shook wildly, and the man could see what appeared to be a giant manta ray destroy another Osprey. The man cursed, and everything went black._

_He awoke in the dirt, bullets and electricity flying over him. He blacked out again, and awoke in a dark room. He could see a marine running toward him, and then explode. He heard a deep, throaty cackle, and blacked out again._

_When he awoke a second time, he was in lying on a table. A man in a white labcoat was performing CPR on a marine nearby, but the marine was clearly dead. The scientist stood up, and noticed that the man was awake. He began to say something, but the man leapt up and into action, punching the scientist in the nose. He grabbed the stunned older man by the tie and wrapped it around his neck, squeezing. He had one objective here: Search and Destroy._

_Me…that was me…_

_I surveyed a small nook in a hallway, observing what I had done. Three men in labcoats lay dead, a headcrab smashed to pieces against the wall: The results of the wrench I wielded. I turned, to see an obese security guard standing at the bottom of the stairs. I grabbed both side-rails, sliding down and booting the guard in the nose, throwing him to the tiles. I grabbed his chin, and snapped his neck. I took the man's Desert Eagle sidearm, and blew several holes in the glass door before me._

_I stood in a hallway, overlooking a large room. A massive freight door sat to one side, a ladder on the other, leading up to a series of catwalks high above. The room stopped about two feet from the hallway I was in. I noticed boiling green fluid beneath it. I made the gap, but the room began to collapse. I leapt up onto the ladder, climbing up. Standing on the catwalk, there was a man in a blue suit, staring…just staring._

_I sprinted through a corridor, skidding to a stop in front of a freight elevator. Hearing a voice, I turned around, to reveal another scientist, and a security guard. Shaking my head, I fired a quick burst into the guard, shattering his head from the jaw up. The scientist turned to run, but I fired several shots into his back. I stepped onto the freight elevator, to see something sliding towards me. It was the body of a marine. I unclipped a grenade from his belt, and pulled the pin, hurling it onto the platform above._

_I stepped carefully across the tracks, into a warehouse. Two men—their names were…what were they? Robert and Carl, I believe. They were both marines, both in my unit. The three of us stepped into the warehouse, suspecting nothing more than a few zombies. We were wrong. I heard a burst of silenced gunfire, and dove to the ground. Robert's throat erupted in a shower of blood, and he fell back. Carl cursed, and rushed forward, disappearing into the mass of cargo containers. I saw the first of them then: A black clad assassin…a member of the United States Black Operatives Division. I cursed, and raised my machine gun. He stood on the catwalk above and opposite me, lifting his own weapon—a silenced H&K MP5 submachine gun. I fired first, catching him in the chest and throwing him backwards. _

_I heard several bursts of silenced weaponry, and Carl's shotgun exchanging fire. With a scream, Carl's stopped. I cursed, knowing I had to move. I sprinted to the side, blasting another assassin away. I rolled to a stop inside a container, and raised my weapon. Almost faster than I could register, two of them entered behind me. My machine gun rattled, ending both of their lives instantly. After several minutes, I stepped into the open, seeing nothing._

_Then, I saw it. A slight motion, in my peripheral vision. Without even looking, I slid my Desert Eagle out of its holster, and held my arm out towards the motion. I pumped two shots into the assassin, tossing him casually to the floor. Flicking the safety back on, I holstered the sidearm. A quick burst of gunfire shattered the weapon in my hands. I ducked down, and grabbed the closest weapon: That wrench. I spun around, hitting the assassin in the side of the knee. He went down with a howl, and I brought the tool down on his head. I hit him; I kept hitting him, until his head was nothing more than a pile of mush._

_I…I did that to a man…to a human being…they trained me to do it…they made me do it!_

_I stood in a well-lit corridor, carpet underneath my bloody combat boots. A dead alien grunt lay on the ground next to me, a large crater in his chest. I held a SPAS .12 shotgun, the weapon of choice for several Black Mesa security guards. I stood in front of a large wooden door, marred by several bullet holes. I lifted the barrel of the shotgun, and fired a blast. The door flew back several feet, propped up against a conference table within. Two alien vortigaunts stood at the far end of the table, by a projector screen. Rolling forward, I ran up the door and onto the table. I dropped to one knee, avoiding an electrical blast. My first shot blew one of the aliens through the screen. The second tore the other in half, the top splattering against the far wall._

_I rode down a long tunnel, on a train cart. Two dead headcrabs lay behind me, bullet holes in each. As I turned a corner, I heard a suspicious blast. After a moment, I realized it was a Rocket Propelled Grenade. I saw the missile streaking towards me, and dove to the side. It hit my cart full on, throwing me into the stone wall. I heard a loud crack in my ribcage, and a wave of pain shot up my side. _

_I stepped into a room, seeing two marines whose names I could not for the life of me recall. One congratulated me on my survival. The other stood in a closet, interrogating a Black Mesa scientist. When the man would not give him any information, he kicked him backwards, and locked the door, leaving him to die. Down a long tunnel, was the LZ. I felt so excited, so full of elation. As the interrogating marine jogged through the open freight door, the man who had congratulated me suddenly flew forward, busting his head open against the wall. I spun around, as the headcrab zombie stumbled towards me, swinging its sharp fingers. I fired several rounds into its head, showering the area in green blood. Turning around, I saw the door closing. I yelled at the top of my lungs, sprinting for it. The door was nearly a foot from the ground, and I slid towards it. It closed, and I slammed into it. Screaming, I stood, pounding on the window. That man in the Blue Suit stood in front of me, smiling, just outside the window. I lifted my machine gun, and emptied the clip into the glass. Nothing happened, and the Osprey's outside took off. I sank to the floor, tears streaming down my face._

_That man…he did that to me…he locked me inside…_

_I sprinted through a dark tunnel, seeing nothing, even with my night vision goggles on. My feet shook, and I looked around, in time to see a giant…monster, no other words for it…galloping towards me. It shot purple electricity, sending jolts of pain through my body. I lifted the strange weapon I had taken, and fired. A green portal shot out, and everything went black. The next thing I knew, I was standing on a rocky platform, hovering in a green air._

_I leapt to another platform, a bigger one. Hearing a familiar howl, I leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the impending shockwave. Looking for the source, I saw it. It reminded me of a baked ham, oddly colored and with four legs. It barked at me, and hunched down. I knew another shockwave would follow, unless I stopped it. I drew my Desert Eagle, and fired six shots into it, throwing it back. I turned, and unwittingly stepped into another portal._

_The world…Xen…the source of the creatures…_

_I stepped out of yet another elevator, into a dark corridor. Walking forward, I walked to the only other door there. I pumped the shotgun slide, and punched the 'Open' button. The door slid up, revealing what can only be described as chaos. The room was brightly lit, orange bulbs flying every which way. They shot balls of fire, forcing me backwards. But I quickly realized that they were not shooting at me. Above me, in the center of the chamber, was a massive green portal. Running towards it, was a man in an orange Hazardous Environment Suit. The man was Gordon Freeman: The man I had been sent to Black Mesa to kill. The reason all my friends were dead, the reason I had gone through hours of hell. I lifted the shotgun, and fired at Freeman, but he was already in the portal…already gone._

_Gordon Freeman…he did this…he and the man in the suit…those bastards!_

_I sprinted through the garage, blowing one of the assassins away with my machine gun. I could almost hear the bomb…ticking and ticking away. I cried out in pain, a bullet lodging itself in my shoulder. Another hit me straight on in the chest, digging into my PCV suit. I flew backwards, landing hard on my back. My machine gun skidded across the concrete, stopping under a car. Not having time to worry about it, I shakily pulled my combat knife out, clambering to my feet. An assassin darted out in front of me, readying a silenced pistol. I grabbed him by the neck and pinned him up against the wall, driving my knife through his forehead. I took the pistol from him, and lifted it. I fired several silent shots at the security booth I knew another assassin hid, shattering the glass. The man stood up, and my next shot took him right in the windpipe. He went down hard._

_Several bullets caught me in the back, between my shoulder blades. My PCV suit absorbed most of the blow, but they stung horribly. A shot whizzed by my ear, taking the tip off. I cursed loudly, dropping to my knee. I spun around, seeing the shooter. He crouched in the bed of a truck, holding a silenced MP5. I stood, as another bullet stuck into my thigh. Crying out in pain, I held the pistol shakily, and emptied the magazine. The man stumbled back, four bullets in his chest, another two in his head._

_I turned around, no more assassins nearby. Limping towards the open truck bed, I saw the bomb. Six numbers were displayed in bright red digits, most of them zeroes. From the timer, I saw that I only had six minutes left. I cursed silently, and went to work. After what seemed like an eternity of cutting, the timer stopped: 30 seconds left. I could not believe it at first, but then it registered in my mind. I sank down, laughing. I laughed for many minutes, before I heard a voice. It asked me why I was happy, what I had done. Delighted, I showed the security guard the bomb. He turned pale, but saw that I had defused it. So happy, I decided that I would let the guard live. But then, he told me there was one more monster; a very big one. He told me where it was, and asked if I could help him defeat it. I cursed, and shot him._

_The man should have lived…but no, Freeman had to sign his death warrant…_

_I stumbled down the hall, both my limp and a heavy wind trying to drive me backwards. I was not going to give in. I had not come this far, had not come through 72 hours of hell, to be stopped by a little wind. I stumbled into an alcove, the door torn off its hinges. What I saw inside the room topped everything I had seen or done over the past three days. A massive portal covered one entire wall, tentacles writhing in and out of it. A catwalk led away from me, two turret looking devices mounted on the rail. I cursed then, as a massive head emerged from the portal. Green and scaly, with two gigantic red eyes, it stared at me. It roared._

_I grabbed the closest cannon, and began blasting away. Bursts of electricity tore from the weapon, cutting the monster deeply. It roared in pain, as I aimed the cannon at its eye. The eye ruptured with a flow of red juice, flooding onto the deck below. A massive tentacle shot at me, slapping me away and tearing the cannon from the rail. I flew back, slamming into the wall. A second tentacle hit the center of the catwalk, sending the metal crashing to the floor, almost three stories below. I knew I had to make it to the second cannon, and sprinted for it. Ignoring the bullet in my leg, I cleared the seven foot gap, tumbling to the metal grating on the other side. The pain hit me then, driving the wind from my body. I cried out, and stumbled forward, grasping the cannon and hauling myself up. I opened up with it, tearing a tentacle in half and aiming for the eye. It exploded, and the monster roared again. It began to sink back into the portal, and electricity tore through the air. I ducked, but the world seemed to fade away._

_I stood in an Osprey. Looking out the window, I saw flashes of black and green. I was flying through the alien planet. I stepped forward, taking notice of the different gravity again. The pain in my leg was gone, as was the bullet. I flexed my shoulder, noticing that bullet was gone as well. I walked to the cockpit, banging on the door. No one answered._

_"They can't hear you," A smooth, but somehow raspy, voice called. I turned around, to see the man in the blue suit. I cursed, and went for a weapon, wishing to inflict as much pain on him as possible. But there was nothing; I had nothing._

_"I've taken the liberty of removing your weapons, you won't be needing them, Corporal Shepard…"_

_Corporal Shepard…Corporal Adrian Shepard…my name…_

_"Wake up, Corporal Shepard…Wake up…"_

Corporal Adrian Shepard opened his eyes. He was in an office, nicely decorated. It was almost comfy. He lay on a warm carpet. The office made him believe that the city he had been in wasn't real. It couldn't have been real, it was so…destroyed…

"Ah, you're awake," A voice said. Adrian looked up, and cursed loudly. At the wooden desk in front of him…sat Wallace Breen.


	3. Second Chances

Gordon Freeman crept down the dark passageway, towards the Citadel, holding his MP7 submachine gun in front of him. He saw two combine soldiers guarding the entrance, and took aim. He wasn't a world-class shot, but he was good enough. And besides, with the iron sights of the MP7, it was almost impossible to miss. Two quick bursts insured the silence of both guards. Gordon cut the distance to the Citadel, and saw the pods, being carried in and out of the dark halls. He shook his head, and shouldered the weapon.

Ten miles away, Barney Calhoun sprinted across the street, bullets panging off the asphalt near his boots. He slid to a stop into an alley, laughing with excitement. He stood up, and peered around the corner. The bullet took a large chunk out of the stone wall, just as he snapped his head back into cover. He grinned, and jogged down the alley, headed for the train station. A massive attack was in progress, raging all over the city. He stepped out of the alley, seeing a pitched firefight taking place. Seven resistance fighters huddled behind an old, beat up Chevrolet. Several yards down the street, at least twenty combine soldiers—led by three elites--spread themselves out across the road and the overpass above. Three snipers stood on two roofs, trying to get an angle.

Barney grinned, and lifted his MP7. He armed the grenade launcher, not bothering to gaze down the site. He moved the weapon in the direction of one of the snipers, and pulled the trigger. The grenade sailed through the air, hitting the rooftop near two of the snipers. It exploded, shattering the men and showering the area in blood and shrapnel. Whooping with delight, he sprinted across the street, leaping onto the trunk of the car and diving forward. He rolled in the grass, crouching behind the fence.

"You boys look like you could use some assistance!" He called to the men. One began to reply, but a bullet took him in the forehead, splashing brain matter on two of his comrades. One leaned over, vomiting his lunch out on the pavement. Barney cringed, and went prone. He crawled forward, barely peeking out from behind cover. He lifted the submachine gun, and looked down the iron sites. He could see the man staring through his scope, his finger on the trigger. Barney fired first, sending a burst of 9mm bullets speeding through the air, and catching the sniper in the chest, throwing him to the street below.

"Nice shot!" Barney heard. He grinned, and began loading a second grenade into the launcher. He slapped it shut, and rolled sideways, leveling the weapon at the overpass. He fired, and the grenade hit home, sinking through a gap in the wall and landing. It exploded, throwing wood and soldier every which way. A moment later, the supports gave way, and the overpass collapsed, crashing onto the road. No more shots came from there.

Barney stood up and, still covering the Combine position, walked slowly to the Chevy. The five surviving defenders stood as well, grinning and smiling at him. One slapped him on the back.

"What's going on, Calhoun?" One of them asked, a young black man, by the name of Jensen. Barney knew him fairly well.

"Alyx and Gordon Freeman are headed for the Citadel. These Combine bastards are through. City 17 will soon be under the control of the good guys!" This elicited several cries of joy from the men and women. "But," Barney continued, "It's not over yet. Gordon may take that sick fuck Breen out, as well as his soldiers, but there is one last enemy for us to face. Those metro-cops, who have made our lives hell for the past twenty years!"

"Kill 'em all!" One of the men yelled, throwing his fist into the air.

"Train station?" A woman, Marie, said to Barney, more of a statement than a question. He nodded in agreement, and then announced it to the rest of them.

"We'll follow you, Calhoun!" Jensen yelled, the others giving them their agreement. Barney turned around, and jogged off, the others following.

Shepard looked up at Breen. He had been the secondary objective, back in Black Mesa. He was the administrator and thus, also responsible for the disaster. He shook his head to clear it, and looked at the man, hatred in his eyes.

"Hello, Corporal Shepard. I trust your stay has been comfortable?" Breen asked sarcastically, getting up and walking around the side of his desk.

"What do you want?" Shepard growled, his voice still hoarse.

"Almost twenty years ago, you were sent to Black Mesa. Your mission: To kill me and my people, to prevent and contain an outbreak. But there was one man in particular, the man who had triggered the portal storm. Gordon Freeman."

Shepard tried to stand up, but noticed he was being held by two white-clad figures, a hand firmly clamped on each shoulder. They looked to be Haz-Mat units, but instead of a gas mask, a single red ocular device covered their faces, staring coldly ahead. He tried to shrug them off, but their grips were strong.

"Don't touch me," He threatened, but the hands did not move. Instantly, Shepard acted, snapping his arm out and connecting with the left guard's kneecap. The man went down, and Shepard lurched backward, knocking the right guard off balance and throwing him to the ground. His elbow came down hard, onto the first guard's throat. Breen did nothing, simply watching.

Shepard rolled to the side, attempting to stand, to strangle this bastard scientist before him. He felt a burning pain in his back, and fell forward. The second guard had pulled a stun-rod. Shepard rolled over, kicking out. But the guard was fast, and grabbed his leg, whacking his thigh with the rod. Waves of electricity shot up Shepard's body, throwing him into spasms. The guard continued to beat him for almost a minute, before Breen stepped forward.

"That's enough!" He called, and the guard backed off. "You'll have to forgive them, Corporal Shepard. As my elite soldiers and guards, they can get a bit carried away at times. Get up, Corporal Shepard, have a seat, have some coffee. You look like hell."

Shepard clambered to his feet, shooting the elite a glare. He limped forward, sinking into the cushioned chair. He noted that Breen was already sitting. The scientist handed him a cup, and Shepard took it eagerly. He downed the entire mug, feeling the hot coffee flood into him. He sighed, and looked at Breen.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"As I was saying. In Black Mesa, your primary objective was to find and neutralize Gordon Freeman. You failed."

"No…" Shepard stammered, the news hitting him like a sledgehammer, "The nuke…that suit freak rearmed it, Freeman was killed in the blast!"

"Ah…the G-man," Breen breathed, almost silently.

"You know him?" Shepard asked, interested.

"We've…met…" Breen said, changing the subject almost immediately. "Sadly, Freeman survived the blast. Over the last twenty years…"

_Twenty years!_ Shepard almost screamed. _Have I really been out for twenty years? What the hell is going on!_

"He has become a hero-type for the people, a Robin Hood, if you will. We allowed it, figuring he had died at Black Mesa along with the rest. Several weeks ago, we were proved wrong. Freeman has re-emerged, fighting his way through the city, through my people. At first, it was but a minor annoyance. But then, he began to take a serious toll on my soldiers, fighting his way through my city, my coast, and my prison. Freeman has started an uprising; citizens and soldiers are fighting pitched battles in the streets! This cannot be allowed to happen!"

"And…what do you want me for?" Shepard asked, his curiosity aroused.

"You…Corporal Shepard…are a machine. The marines turned you into a trained killer. You were one of seven who escaped Black Mesa, alive. And I want you to limit that number down to two." Breen said coldly.

Shepard realized that he was getting a second chance. Maybe, just maybe, this could be his redemption, from a lifetime of hell. Of course, Breen could not be allowed to live, but that would come later. For now, he would have a mission.

"Who are the others?" He asked.

"Freeman, you already know. Three other scientists survived, by the names of Eli Vance, Isaac Kleiner, and Judith Mossman. Judith was recently a mole in the resistance, but she went rogue two weeks ago. Also, there was a security guard, by the name of Barney Calhoun. And the daughter of Eli Vance: Alyx. Of the six, only four are truly a threat to us. Freeman, Calhoun, and the Vances. Eliminate them first. And…try to make it hurt…ok?" Shepard considered it no further.

"I'll do it."


	4. The Explosion

**So what does everybody think so far? Please post some reviews.**

Shepard stood naked in Breen's personal bathroom, in front of the sink. His appearance had changed drastically in his twenty-year absence. His skin was incredibly pale and palled. Long, curly, black hair hung down to his neck, matted to his skin. He turned on the faucet, and filled the basin with lukewarm water, dunking his head in. After a moment he withdrew, flinging drops of water everywhere. He struggled with the clean clothes Breen had provided him, as they were almost two sizes too small. Finally, he managed to pull them on, and stepped back.

He walked outside, to the combine elite; his personal escort.

"Come on, we're going to the armory," The elite said gruffly, walking off. Shepard followed. He tried to memorize the route as they went along, but virtually every corridor was alike. Just more of the dull, drab, black metal. Shepard frowned, but kept going. Eventually, the elite stopped.

"Here we are. You have been given permission to take whatever you need," The elite said. Shepard nodded, and went inside. He was confronted with rows and rows of weapons. The elite followed him in, and began walking down the rows. Shepard realized he was explaining what each gun was.

After ten minutes, Shepard knew almost everything about each weapon. He knew what type of ammunition to use, how many modes of fire there were, and how to field strip and clean each in under a minute. He selected a Combine issue pulse rifle, a magnum revolver, and long-range rifle. He turned to the elite.

"What do you do for food around here?" Before his guide could respond, a massive explosion shook the room. Shepard stumbled, but managed to keep his feet.

"What the hell was that?" He screamed, while the elite barked into his radio. He turned to Shepard.

"It's Freeman! He's inside the Citadel!"

"Shit!" Shepard yelled, expecting to have a few hours at least, before going after Freeman. He cursed again, and followed the elite, who was already sprinting away. They rushed down the hallways, Shepard managing to keep the pace. Despite being completely unmoving for twenty years, his muscles had not atrophied. Even so, the elite was much faster.

The elite pulled ahead, disappearing behind a corner. Shepard reached it several seconds later, and saw that his guide was gone. He stopped, attempting to catch his breath. Walking ahead, he saw the path end. It branched off into two different pathways, each leading into several more.

"Shit."

Barney stepped into the courtyard, directly in front of the train station. He was alone, having used his metro-cop uniform to sneak in. Seeing the two door guards with their backs to him, he drew his Glock, and silently stalked forward. When he was close enough, he lifted the weapon, and fired once. The shot tore through the back of the first guard's neck, his second shot dropping the other guard. He grinned.

"MOVE IN!" He yelled, whirling around at the sound of gunfire. Several metro-cops had moved in and, seeing Barney, opened up. He ducked into an alcove, popping off a few shots and tearing off his gas mask. He looked up, to see several resistance fighters rushing forward. Barney grinned, and signaled for them to set up a position. They did, and a firefight ensued.

The metro-cops were quickly overwhelmed, most of their experience coming from beating up winos and fighting gangs. They were not prepared for an organized assault. Barney walked across the courtyard, his soldiers following. A bullet panged off the wall near his head, and he ducked down. He raised the Glock, and emptied the magazine. The metro-cop in the alcove ahead dropped.

Barney stood up, and marched straight through, slapping a new magazine in and kicking open the door to the detention center. He shot the guard inside, and walked to the first door. He opened it, to find the room empty, aside from a gun rack. Moving to the next door down, he discovered it was locked. He went back to the first room, to the gun rack.

"Load up!" He yelled, grabbing a shotgun and filling it with shells. He grabbed a handful of extras, and walked back to the second room. He presses the barrel up against the knob, and fired. The knob flew off, the door flying open. Two metro-cops inside went down with one blast. Barney entered, walking to the cell at the far end of the room. Four men and two women huddled in the far corner, looking battered and beaten. They had hope in their eyes now.

"Need some help?" Barney asked with a grin. He shut off the force field, letting them out, "Somebody get these people some guns!" He called. He was obliged, and soon they were all loaded up, with several thanks.

Barney and the soldiers went from cell to cell, killing metro-cops and freeing prisoners. Soon, he had assembled a formidable army. He led them to the train station, the twenty-five men and women overwhelming the four door guards, and the sniper up above.

"All right men, this is it. Every single one of these bastards will be in here, holed up. They'll be afraid, making them far more dangerous than usual. I don't want any heroes in here, but remember, these pricks are traitors to our entire race! They will show no mercy, so show them none in return! Gordon may be scoring a massive victory elsewhere, but this one is far more important! Waste 'em all!" He hooted, kicking down the door. Several metro-cops huddled near the far wall, taking cover behind benches, trashcans, whatever they could. Barney fired a blast, tossing one backward. His soldiers opened up, coating the walls and floor with bullet holes. Several cops fell, blood squirting every which way.

Barney stepped inside the room, ducking behind a bench. He raised the shotgun, and saw a gas mask, peeking up at him. He fired, blowing it away. Pumping the slide, he stepped to the side.

Shepard jogged down the corridor, trying to remember the way back to Breen's office. He felt he was doing a fairly good job, but he was not at all sure. A minute later, he was rewarded, when he saw the familiar wooden doors. He kicked them open, and stepped into a disaster zone.

Breen's desk was overturned, the chair flung into the window, sticking in the glass. A beam hung down from the ceiling, along with several bits of wire. Sparks flew, and the lights flickered. The carpet was in flames, but not spreading to the rest of the floor.

Shepard cursed, and stepped into the room. He shook his head, brushing the annoyingly long hair from his eyes. Walking to the other end of the office, he saw the main doors, dangling from their hinges. Somebody had detonated something in this office, likely a packet of C4. Figured; Shepard had gotten the impression that Breen wasn't well-liked.

Even so, Shepard would need the scientist for now, being his only link to Gordon Freeman and the others. He cursed under his breath, and set off down the corridor. As soon as he cleared the doors, a second explosion sounded, throwing him back into the office. He crashed through the desk, and blacked out.

Barney leapt over the turnstile, entering the main lobby. He gunned down two metro-cops, and ducked behind a flower pot. He peeked over, to see the resistance fighters peppering the area with bullet holes. Several cops fell back. Barney looked across the room, to see Jensen, hiding behind a bench.

"Jensen! Gimme a grenade!" He yelled. Jensen felt around in his pockets, producing one. He threw it at Barney, who caught it out of the air. He armed it, and lobbed it over the pot, throwing it into the subway tunnel. It exploded, killing several cops.

"Move up!" Barney shouted. He stood up, when a massive explosion shook the area. Barney lost his footing, hitting the floor and covering his head. After several minutes, the explosion stopped. Barney looked up, to see a large piece of shrapnel sticking out of the floor, just a foot away from his head. Cringing, he surveyed the rest of the area. The train station was destroyed. Rubble lay strewn about the floor, bodies covered in blood. Jensen was impaled to the floor, a table leg through his stomach. No one in the room had survived, clearly. Barney let a tear flow down his cheek, and walked into the tunnel.

A groan stopped him. He whirled around, to see a metro-cop, struggling to get out from under a beam. He leveled the Glock, and fired one shot. The cop stopped moving.

Shepard peeled himself from the window, feeling several glass shards still in him. Two combine elites entered the room.

"What the hell is going on?" Shepard demanded. The elites shook their heads. One of them stepped forward.

"Gordon Freeman infiltrated the Citadel. We apprehended him, and took him here. We believe Doctor Breen escaped, but Freeman was able to pursue him. He killed Doctor Breen, and escaped, along with Alyx and Eli Vance."

_Shit! _Shepard thought. _Three of my targets, helpless and captured, and Breen let them escape!_

"Is Freeman still on site?" He asked, out loud.

"We don't know, Sir," The elite responded. Shepard growled, and fingered the Magnum. Before the elites knew what he was doing, he had placed a bullet in each ocular device, dropping them. He holstered the Magnum, and turned to the window. He would not be needing the Combine, now that Breen was gone. This was his vendetta, and part of it was already finished.


	5. Second Meetings

Have the chapters been a little short so far? Say the word, and I'll make them longer.

Alyx Vance moved gracefully through the rubble-strewn road, Dog following closely behind. She told him to search as much as he could, while she made it to the checkpoint. From there, she could contact her father, and find out what the hell was going on.

She ducked under the archway of a destroyed building, looking around. Dog lightly leapt into the foundations, and began digging. Alyx jumped down next to him, moving to a smaller pile of wreckage. She moved a large rock, shoving it aside.

"Dog, I don't think he's-" She turned, to see Gordon Freeman in Dog's hand. "Gordon!" She cried, delighted. Gordon stepped down, and she wrapped her arms around him, beaming from ear to ear. He smiled, awkwardly patting her on the back, obviously caught off guard. She finally stepped back, still smiling.

"I knew we'd find you Gordon, I just knew it."

Barney shook his head, trying to clear it. His ears were still ringing; he was still shell-shocked. He stumbled down the train tunnel, trying his best to avoid the fires, although he was seeing double. He fell, and crawled to the nearest wall, slumping against it. Shakily, Barney lifted his radio, pressing the call button.

"This is Calhoun, is anybody there? Repeat…Barney Calhoun…is anybody there?" He waited almost a minute, and when there was no response, he switched channels. After another minute of static, he did it again. Several channels later, he heard a voice.

"Barney…Barney is that you?" It was Doctor Isaac Kleiner.

"Isaac! What…what the hell is going on?" He managed to say. His head was becoming clear now.

"Gordon and Alyx breached the Citadel. They rescued Eli, but Breen escaped. They blew it up. They blew it up!" Isaac yelled, still happy.

Barney was flooded with relief, and elation. He would've cheered, had his vocal cords allowed it. He settled for a smile. "Are they ok?"

"Yes, yes, they're quite all right. Alyx and Dog found Gordon buried in rubble, alive and well. But there's one problem."

"What?" Barney asked, knowing it was too good to be true.

"The Citadel is melting down," Isaac continued, "In twenty minutes, it will release a catastrophic explosion, bigger than the one before. Gordon and Alyx went in, to try to stop it."

"Son of a bitch!" Barney shouted. It hurt, and he dropped the radio in a coughing fit. It hit the ground, breaking into three pieces. Through the coughs, Barney cursed again.

"What's that?" He heard the gruff voices of Combine soldiers. A moment later, he heard the whirring of a Combine tank. He crawled up against the wall, drawing the Glock. He lifted it shakily, and watched the vehicle come into view, turning down the tunnel towards him. Four Combine soldiers escorted it, walking carefully on the footpaths above the track. Barney made himself as small as possible, but knew there would be no way to avoid them.

_Damn it!_ He thought. He could barely hold the weapon steady, and knew he would hit nothing. He lowered the pistol, and lay down, narrowing his eyes to slits. Several moments later, he clamped them shut.

"There's a body, check it!" Barney heard one of the soldiers jump down nearby, as the tank trundled along. He tried not to cough, but it was becoming hard; his throat was incredibly raw from all the dust in the air. He felt a foot prodding him, and tried to hold his breath.

"This one's dead," He heard.

"Burn it," Another soldier responded, "But wait a few minutes so we can get far enough, the tank's leaking. You, wait with him!"

"Yes sir!" Barney heard two sets of feet walking away. Almost two minutes later, he heard a flare ignite. He opened his eyes, to see two feet, lit by the fire. Not waiting any longer, he kicked out, breaking the soldier's leg at the knee and throwing him back. Barney lifted the pistol, aiming across the tunnel at the second soldier. He emptied the clip, dropping him. Fumbling with a new magazine, he slid it in clumsily. The soldier he had kicked was trying to sit up; Barney put three shots into him.

He shakily clambered to his feet, picking up the flare. It illuminated the tunnel around him with red light. He knew a train would not make it through; there was no way. He was surprised the tank had managed it, frankly. He heard shouts coming from ahead, and grabbed the pulse rifle by the stock, pulling it towards him. He hefted it, and climbed up onto the footpath.

The two soldiers came into view, brandishing their weapons. Barney peered down the iron sites of the rifle, laying his finger down on the trigger. One of the soldiers fell back, riddled with burning globs of plasma. He swiveled the rifle, emptying the magazine. The other soldier dove down onto the track, unharmed. Barney threw the rifle aside, drawing the Glock. He heard a scream, and looked over the pile of wreckage. The soldier had tripped, and fallen onto the electrically charged track. Barney grimaced, but sighed with relief. A moment later, he heard the tank coming back.

"Not now…" He groaned, looking for an exit. All he saw was a mechanical access tunnel. He shot the lock off the door, and clambered inside. He holstered the pistol, and grasped the ladder, slowly reaching for a higher rung. He slipped, and crashed back to the floor, groaning.

It took him ten minutes to climb the ladder, another five to move the manhole cover. He hauled himself up, shakily standing in the road. Looking around, a loud curse came to his lips. The city was destroyed, almost every building reduced to rubble. Massive holes were torn in the road, littered with bodies of both human and Combine.

Despite the destruction, Barney knew where he was. He was two miles from Isaac Kleiner's lab. If he moved now, he could probably make it without detection. His head was clearing, both vision and hearing restoring themselves. He shook his head, and stumbled over to a wall. Leaning against it, he felt a raindrop on his cheek.

Five minutes later, the rain was pouring, coming down in sheets. Barney, stumbling along the road, was drenched. The rain had done one good thing however: He had been restored the full use of his senses. His leg hurt, and he slowly limped down the road. He looked down, seeing something jutting out of his thigh. Reaching down, he pulled a small piece of shrapnel out. With a curse, he tossed it aside.

Barney heard a familiar noise. Creaking metal, and something massive hitting the pavement: A Strider. The behemoth turned the corner two blocks ahead of Barney, headed right for Isaac's lab. Barney cursed, limping as fast as he could after it. He knew he had to stop it, but he had no clear idea how.

Gordon Freeman stepped out of the destroyed van, jogging around to help Alyx. He looked around. Sparks flew everywhere, loose wires and beams hanging from the ceiling. Gordon stepped forward, hefting the Gravity Gun. Alyx followed closely.

They walked through the destruction for several minutes, encountering nothing. Gordon moved a bundle of wires from his view, and saw something ahead.

"Stalkers…" Alyx breathed. She stepped forward, lifting her 9mm. Squeezing the trigger, a single bullet zipped through the air, catching the Stalker in the eye and throwing it back. She and Gordon ran for it, Gordon checking its pulse. It was dead.

"These…they used to be people. The Combine hurt them…tortured them…into doing their bidding. They're monsters now," She continued, shaking her head. "We've been taught to show them no mercy."

Before she could say anything more, bullets panged off the metal near them. Both dove into alcoves on the side of the hall, Gordon cringing. They should not have allowed the Combine to sneak up on them like that.

Shepard sat in Breen's chair, thinking about what to do. He had put the fires out, removed the chair from the window, and dressed himself in the elite's suit, not liking the tight fit Breen's clothes presented. He realized that without Breen, he had no clear idea on where to look for these people. He had thought rashly about killing the soldiers, deciding now that he could use them.

He started, hearing yelling. After a moment, Shepard realized that it was coming from the radio inside his mask.

"Intruders in the Citadel!" The radio screamed, "We can't get a clear picture, but one is wearing bright orange body armor!" Shepard tuned the rest out.

_Freeman…_He thought. _Freeman had worn an orange HEV suit. Did that mean…was he still here?_

Cursing his stupidity, he sprinted out of the room, listening for a location. He ran for several minutes, through empty and destroyed corridors. This was too perfect, two of his targets in the same building.

Finally, he found them. Four Combine soldiers had them pinned down in a narrow corridor. He hurried to them, skidding to a stop.

"Sir, we've got the two intruders!" One of them yelled. Shepard looked around for who he might be talking to, but then realized he was wearing the Elite's suit. He grinned, a plan formulating in his mind.

"They're pinned down! All units move up!" He shouted, knowing that without any cover, they wouldn't stand a chance. He was right. Quickly, he slipped into a small alcove, and heard several shots, followed by screams. And then; silence.

"That elite's still up there!" He heard a female voice call. Shepard smiled, and tore off his gas mask. He set the rifle down, and stepped out, coming face to face with a pistol.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Shepard cried, falling to his knees, "I'm on your side!"

He recognized the woman, from before. He had watched her shoot down one of those massive machines without even flinching. When Breen had mentioned Alyx Vance, Shepard had not even made the connection. It was a shame that she would have to die so needlessly. She cast a look at Freeman.

"He's right," Alyx said, apparently recognizing him as well, "I fought with him earlier, just before they brought me to Breen. I thought you were killed."

"No, only wounded. I awoke in Breen's office, under interrogation. I feigned unconsciousness, and when they were hauling me back to my cell, I killed two of his guards and escaped. I've been creeping through air vents for hours!"

"Poor bastard," Freeman snorted, and Shepard got a good look at him. He hurriedly looked away, not wanting the hatred to show in his eyes.

"What…what happened here? I was in a bathroom when an explosion sounded. I blacked out, and when I woke up, everything was destroyed. Did you do that?" He asked, once again looking at Alyx.

"Gordon and I-" She began, but Shepard cut her off. He grabbed her wrists, still grasping the pistol, and spun them around, firing several shots into her leg. She collapsed, and Shepard had to dive into cover, as Freeman reacted faster than he would've thought, opening up with his MP7.

"You son of a bitch! Gordon!" Alyx cried, gasping for air on the floor.

Shepard said nothing, drawing his Magnum. He leaned out, but was forced back into cover by Freeman. Alyx managed to somewhat recover, peppering the walls with bullet holes, slowly crawling towards cover. Shepard crouched, and peeked around, firing a shot at her. It missed, shattering the metal near her side. She yelled, and propped herself up against the wall, still shooting.

Gordon stepped out, opening up on the alcove where Shepard crouched. He covered his head, as a bullet ricocheted into his side. He grimaced, but the suit absorbed most of the blow.

He had underestimated his opponents, figuring them to be a bumbling scientist and a poser daddy's girl. He silently cursed himself, remembering that Freeman hadn't fucked his way through Black Mesa. He had left his rifle in the middle of the corridor, and only had two bullets left in the Magnum. He figured the rifle wouldn't be much help in this situation.

Shepard saw his answer across the hallway: A glass door. He lifted the Magnum, and fired both bullets into it, shattering the glass. Dropping the Magnum, he sprinted out, scooping up the rifle and diving through what was left of the door. He was in a mess hall.

"Gordon!" He heard Alyx scream, "Kick his ass!" He knew Freeman would not be far behind, and advanced into the dark room.


	6. Escape

To whoever's still reading, sorry this chapter took so long. My internet's been down for the past few days, so I haven't had a chance to post it.

Barney had been running for almost ten minutes now, still trying to get to the damn Strider. He realized he had been much farther from it than he had originally thought. Finally, he stopped, panting for breath.

He was still rather far away, and the Strider was moving much faster than he was. He looked around for an option, his eyes settling on an old motorcycle, lying in an alley, covered in dirt and trash. He holstered his pistol, and lifted it up.

Praying that it would still run, it took him almost a minute to hotwire it. He revved the engine with a sigh of relief. Smiling, he slowly exited the alley, angling the motorcycle towards the Strider. He hoped he still knew how to ride one, and he did, setting off toward the massive monster, tearing apart the streets.

He avoided the potholes that were made where the Strider stepped, gaining ground on it. Still thinking of what he could possibly do to it with only his 9mm pistol, he soon came to a solution. Zipping under the Strider's feet, he sped along the path, headed for a tall tower, lifting over even the Strider. He skidded to a stop, parking the motorcycle next to the door. Still unnoticed by the Strider, he kicked the door in, and rushed inside.

Two Combine soldiers stood in the room, meandering pointlessly. Barney cursed, noticing the strange creatures that took a head's place: Headcrabs. The Combine zombies turned, suddenly gaining speed and power. Barney cried out, drawing his Glock and opening up. Both zombines dropped to the floor, filled with hot lead. One of the headcrabs broke loose, leaping towards Barney. He hit it with his last two bullets.

He remembered the little fuckers; boy did he remember them. Headcrab zombies had littered Black Mesa, hiding behind doors and in darkness, wherever they could find…just lurking. But, what had been more of a trouble, were the headcrabs themselves. They were even more frequent in the dark hallways and rooms, and even more dangerous. Barney remembered attempting to pull one from his friend's—Stanley? Yes, Stanley was his name—head, but in vain. The headcrab had settled, digging into poor Stanley's skull. The last coherent thing Barney had heard from the technician, had been two words: "Kill me," before descending into screams of pain and agony.

Deeply disturbed, Barney had obliged.

Shepard watched Freeman enter the mess hall, his gun aiming. Shepard knew he had the advantage, hidden in a dark corner as he was, behind a table. He smiled, and lifted his Pulse Rifle.

Suddenly, Freeman did something Shepard had not expected at all: He flicked a switch on the wall, turning on the lights. Shepard cursed, yelling it louder than he had ever yelled in his life. Freeman saw him, and fired. Shepard fired back, spraying plasma pulses at the figure in the doorway. Freeman dove into cover.

Shepard's rifle clicked, empty. He cursed, and scrambled over the table, rushing towards a door. He kicked it open, and ducked into a kitchen. 9mm bullets flew all around him, knocking a pan off a rack. Shepard ran between the aisles, flicking on several stoves. He ducked into a cabinet, shutting the door behind him.

Gordon's weapon was also empty, his last bullet knocking a frying pan to the floor. He watched the man run away, flicking on stoves. Pondering whether or not to pursue him, he hefted the Gravity Gun. The man had shot Alyx in cold blood. For that, he had to die.

Gordon stepped forward, entering the kitchen. He pressed the secondary fire button on the Gravity Gun, bringing a chair from the mess hall to hover before him. As he walked through the aisles, Shepard watched from his cabinet on high. As Gordon passed underneath him, Shepard leapt out, tackling Gordon and rolling away. Gordon grabbed the chair again, launching it at Shepard. It collided with the man, throwing him back with a cry.

Shepard lunged forward again, only to be beaten back by a cabinet door, flung from that damned gun Freeman had. He growled, and slid his combat knife from its sheath, flinging it at the man. The knife clipped Freeman on the side of the head, dragging a thin red line across the side and throwing him back.

_Damn,_ he thought, _I've never been good with knives._ The Gravity Gun rolled away, and Shepard leapt forward, lifting Gordon up by the shoulders and slamming him into a wall. Gordon snapped his head forward, connecting with Shepard's jaw, and throwing him onto the ground. Shepard grabbed the side of a counter, his fingers closing around the handle of a steak knife.

Gordon turned around, rushing out of the kitchen. He turned into the mess hall, disappearing around the corner. As Shepard came into the room, Gordon hit him in the cheek with a very solid object. He stumbled, seeing Freeman holding a fire extinguisher. He hit Shepard with it again, throwing him back into the kitchen. Shepard stepped back, towards one of the stoves. As Gordon came in, he chopped him across the armpit. Gordon cried out, dropping the extinguisher.

He stepped in, lifting his boot and kicking Shepard in the chest. Shepard felt a sharp burning pain, having fallen back onto the stove. He cried out, leaping forward. Gordon hit him in the nose, grabbing him by the hair and jamming his face onto the burner. The smell of burning flesh instantly filled the room, as Gordon pressed his face up against the metal. He went limp.

Gordon held him down for almost a minute longer, before dropping the body. With one more kick for good measure, he walked to the Gravity Gun, scooping it up. He stepped over Shepard's body, rejoining Alyx in the corridor.

Barney kicked the door open, spilling out onto the roof of the building. He saw the Strider, dangerously close to his position. Rushing forward, Barney stepped out onto the edge of the room, watching the monstrous machine lumber towards him. Through the open top, he saw four Combine soldiers and a Stalker manning positions. He lifted his Glock, and took aim.

Two of the soldiers went down instantly, the Stalker soon to follow. Barney hit the third soldier in the side, knocking him back. His gun clicked. With a whoop, he leapt down, landing on the platform. His hand went out, blocking the attack of the fourth soldier. But they were strong…very strong. It felt like the soldier had hit him with a hammer, and all the wind flew from his lungs. He staggered back, gasping for breath.

The soldier reached for his sidearm, leveling it at Barney. He fell over, still trying to breathe. His hand closed around the barrel of a pistol, drawing it and aiming at the soldier. Barney squeezed the trigger, his four shots catching the man in the chest and dropping him.

Barney clambered to his feet, swiveling his gun to focus on the third soldier. The man was not attacking anymore, simply trying to keep his intestines in. Barney stepped forward, kicking him over the edge. He plummeted to the street below.

"Now…how do you operate one of these things?" Barney pondered, putting his hands on his hips. Still thinking, he dumped the bodies over the edge, to join their comrade below. Once that was done, he turned to face the control panel.

"Huh."

Gordon and Alyx ran down the corridors of the Citadel, Gordon supporting Alyx to the best of his ability. They turned a corner, to see several Combine soldiers marching toward them, led by an Elite. Alyx cursed, lifting her pistol.

Gordon let go, and lifted the Gravity Gun. They had passed through a disarming field a few minutes ago, warping it. Gordon liked this version better, frankly. It was much more powerful, with the ability to pick up and shoot live beings as well as inanimate objects.

He let loose a burst, scattering the soldiers and killing many. Alyx opened up as well, dropping three of them before having to reload. Gordon loosed another burst, killing the remaining soldiers.

"Poor bastards…" Alyx commented, "Didn't have a chance."

Gordon snorted, and the two continued on.

Eli Vance grabbed his friend Isaac by the shoulders, attempting to force him out of the lab.

"We have to go, damn it!" He yelled, but Isaac was not listening, but calling for that damn headcrab of his.

"We cannot leave without Lamarr! Lamarr! Lamarr!" He rushed across the lab, still shouting its name. The resistance fighter at the door sighed.

"Just give him a minute, ok?" Eli grunted, limping after the other scientist.

"I hear Striders!" The fighter called, cocking his MP7 machine gun, "If we don't leave now Doctor Kleiner, we're fucked."

"He's right, you know," Eli remarked. Isaac shrugged him off. He yelled, when Lamarr leapt down from the rafters, settling on his head.

"There you are, Lamarr! Come on now, we have to get out of here!" He rushed out past Eli, Lamarr purring on his head. The three men stepped outside, the fighter first. He cursed very loudly, a Strider very nearly upon them.

"Howdy fellas!" The speaker called, stopping all three men in their tracks. The Strider stopped, "Need a lift?"

"Barney?" Isaac asked, "What the hell are you doing up there?"

"I nicked it! Pretty neat, huh?" He giggled. Eli rolled his eyes.

"Well how do you expect us to get up there?" He asked, sitting on a bench.

"Well uh…you know, I honestly couldn't tell you, Doc. They've got a rope ladder up here, but it's kinda flimsy."

"Throw it down anyway!" Eli barked. Barney grumbled over the speaker, and the rope ladder unfolded a moment later. Isaac went up first, Lamarr digging into his shoulder.

"Christ Doc, why'd ya have to bring that damn thing?" Barney asked, shaking his head. Isaac and Lamarr settled down, as Eli began the climb. With only one leg, the climb took almost twice as long as Isaac's had. When he was finally settled into a station, the fighter scaled the ladder.

"All aboard?" Barney asked, starting the Strider up again. While he turned it around, he glanced back at his companions.

"So where're we headed?" He asked.

"The Citadel," Eli said, "We have to get Alyx and Gordon out of there!"

Barney looked at Isaac, who shook his head subtly. He nodded, and looked back at the controls. Ten minutes later, they stood before the train station.

"Why are we here?" Eli asked, "The Citadel is over there damn it!"

"We gotta get you two out of the city," Barney replied, lowering the platform down near the ground, "I'll go back for Alyx and Gordon."

Isaac and the fighter helped Eli out of the Strider, and had to almost drag him to a train.

"They'll be fine!" Barney yelled to them, "Just get out of the city!"

He watched them board the train, and saw it set off several minutes later. He turned to the Strider, just as two missiles flew out of nowhere, slamming into it. The explosion ripped through the air, tossing Barney to the ground with a curse. He watched as a gunship flew over him.

"Son of a bitch!"


	7. Final Decision

So I'm thinking that I might abandon this project, as it's not turning out quite how I pictured it (Or at least leaving for a time and then returning). I have another in mind, also Half-Life centered, that I think is a much better concept, personally. But, I figured I'd let whoever's still reading, especially Atomic Poe, decide.

In a dark kitchen, somewhere deep inside the Citadel, Shepard lay still. There was no noise, save for the clicking of dress shoes on metal. A man, wearing a dark suit and holding a briefcase, approached the body.

He knelt next to the former marine, and presses his free hand to his forehead. Closing his eyes, he concentrated. A moment later, Shepard coughed. He rolled over, and looked at the man.

"You…" He breathed.

"Yes, me," The G-man said, his voice raspy yet smooth in Shepard's ears, "And you…you need to be more careful."

"What the fuck do you want with me?" Shepard asked, clambering to his feet.

"Personally… nothing. In fact, I find this whole situation rather…distasteful. But, you see…the three of you are my most promising subjects."

"What?"

"The…incident…several years ago. I abducted two men from the site: Yourself, and Gordon Freeman," He continued, noting that Shepard stiffened at the mention of Gordon's name, "My employers deemed that you two should go through the aftermath…untouched…And yet…for all of that…we failed. For you see, there was a much more…miraculous survivor. A security guard…by the name of Barney Calhoun. He survived Black Mesa, without any help from myself…or my…employers, and managed to save several others…with him."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shepard demanded, "What employers?"

"That…I cannot say. But Mister Calhoun has become quite an…experiment…with them. They say he has…potential…as do you, as does Freeman." The G-man said.

"So…um…" Shepard mumbled, not sure what to say or do.

"My employers have decided to…pit you against each other, a game…of sorts. Personally, I find it…distasteful…a waste."

"So we're your fucking gladiators?" Shepard asked, becoming angry.

"In a sense…yes. But do not worry, for only one of you is…allowed to perish in this…contest. I find it a waste of good…employees…but I am in the…minority…here. If my little…journey…to bring you back is noticed…I will be sharply…reprimanded. So my visit also serves as a…warning to you, Corporal Shepard. Do not be so…foolish…again, for I will not return to save you. And should you manage to…eliminate another player…you will be saved, and returned to storage."

"Fuck your storage!" Shepard cried, remembering the deep, empty void. He would not go back there again. But the G-man did not listen to his words, already fading away.

"Goodbye, Corporal Shepard. Pray we do not meet again soon," And he was gone. Shepard sat back against the stove, a deeper level of thought coming on.

Barney sprinted across the train yard, cannon fire tearing up the ground around him. He slid to a stop, ending under a train car. He could feel the car shaking, as the gunship strafed over it. As the roar of the engines faded into the distance, Barney made his move. Clutching the pulse rifle to his chest, he rolled out from under the train car, scanning the sky for the gunship. He saw it ahead, slowly turning around for another run.

He hurried to his feet, bolting back across the train yard. He heard the gunship approaching, and then the cannon firing. The bolts crashed around him, but he kept running. Up ahead, he saw his target. He dove under the water tower, grabbing one of the beams for support. He watched the gunship keep going, and bolted again.

He scrambled onto a concrete ledge, leading into a footpath for a tunnel. The gunship swerved, following. Barney sprinted down the tunnel, but heard the ship enter behind him. _Dedicated fucker! _He thought.

The thought turned to a loud curse as the cannon began to fire. The bolts tore up everything around him, shattering concrete and melting dirt. Barney screamed at the noise, increased one hundred-fold inside the tunnel.

Suddenly, he heard a sound that put a smile on his face: The horn of a train. He kept running, covering his head with his hand. A moment later, he saw the massive headlights. His non-regulation watch gleamed on his wrist, showing that it was around noon. That was perfect; it meant nobody would be on the train, except for the members of the Combine Overwatch.

Barney pumped all of his muscles, trying to get as far ahead as possible. He heard the train horn blaring, and the immediate explosion. The shockwave stumbled Barney, but he kept running. Fire rippled through the tunnel, burning everything the gunship hadn't. But Barney kept running, closing his eyes against the heat.

Eventually, he no longer felt the fires at his back. Sweating profusely, he sank back against the wall, casting a look at the wreckage behind him. The train was ruined, bent in places it shouldn't and on fire. All the windows were blown, as well as the doors. The gunship was gone, there were no remains. Barney chuckled. After several minutes, he stood up, and began walking away from the destruction, looking for an exit.

Shepard sat against the stove for a long time. On one hand, he did not wish to return to that damn void. On the other, he did not particularly like the sound of being killed. It seemed slightly more appealing than the G-man's "storage", he admitted.

"What the hell am I doing?" He muttered to himself, getting to his feet. He had one, and only one, purpose in life now: To utterly destroy Gordon Freeman. Survival was unimportant, as long as the man who had destroyed his life faced the same fate. For that, he had to get rid of all of Freeman's friends; the men and women Breen had given him. He went over the list in his head.

_Eli Vance, Alyx Vance, Isaac Kleiner, Judith Mossman, Barney Calhoun…the G-man mentioned Calhoun, _Shepard remembered, shakily walking out of the kitchen, _And of course, Gordon Freeman. It is a shame that all of these men and women, who likely fight for my very race, must die, so that my personal vendettas can be taken care of._

He cursed himself, silently. _What the fuck is wrong with me? These are men and women who fight for humanity itself, and I want to kill them, just to hurt Freeman! _Disgusted with himself, he picked up his fallen Magnum. He produced one bullet from his pocket, loading it into the chamber. Setting the chambers into place, he pulled the hammer back.

_I am a sick son of a bitch, _He thought, moving the barrel to his mouth, _The greatest chances for my people to regain their freedom, and I want to murder them. This is not what I joined the fucking marines for!_

Of course, I didn't join the marines to murder hundreds of innocent civilians, to maintain a cover-up. But I did that. Who am I to decide those people's fate? Who am I to decide these people's fate? I want to destroy Freeman, so why don't I just send him back into the void? Any longer, and I would have lost my mind! 

He knew he had the power to do that, as well. Placing his finger on the trigger of the revolver, he squeezed. Nothing happened. He drew back the hammer again, and pulled the trigger. Still nothing. Three more times he did this, to no avail. Finally, he pulled the hammer again, knowing the bullet would be in this one.

Instead of a bullet, all he got in his mouth was hot powder. With a loud curse, he flung the gun away, screaming. The gun his misfired, simply spitting out gunpowder and burning his tongue.

"I would advise you not to do that," The voice of the G-man wafted through the air.

"Fuck you!" Shepard yelled, standing up. But the voice was gone. Shepard cursed again, ending with a growl and a yell. He kicked the wall.

"Good choice, Corporal Shepard…" The voice of the G-man purred, and disappeared. Shepard cursed for a third time, loudly.


End file.
